Glue applying machine



Jan. 9, 1951 L. QUICK GLUE APPLYING MACHINE 5 Shegts-Sheet l Filed July 10, 1945 K K u 9 Q a W I L 1 IN V EN TOR.

Jan. 9, 1951 L. QUICK GLUE APPLYING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 10, 1945 y INVENTOR. L Lov'o Q0 ICK,

Jan. 9, 1951 QUICK GLUE APPLYING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 10, 1945 INVENTOR. LLOYD QUICK, BY

Patented Jan. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcr.

GLUE APPLYING MACHINE Lloyd Quick, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., assignor to James L. Taylor Manufacturing Company, a

corporation of New York Application July 10,1945, Serial No. 604,122

3 Claims. (Cl. 144- 280) This invention relates to the art of gluing and is moreparticularly concerned with an apparatus designedto apply glue to the edges of thin boards which are to be united into a composite panel.

The invention contemplates in general glue applying apparatus of the type wherein the pieces toEbe glued, for example boards, are caused to move into and out of contact with the glue applying surface, for example the periphery of a roll,

offglue to the pieces. Moreover, the known machines are complicated, do not permit ready accessibility for cleaning and generally are inefiicient in design and operation.

Therefore, a primary object of my invention is to::overcome the defects and disadvantages of prior glue-applying machines and to provide a glue-applying apparatus which shall embody noveland improved construction, combination and arrangement of parts, whereby a uniform coating of glue can be applied to Work pieces, partic'ula ly warped boards or strips.

dbject of the invention is to provide a novel andiimproved machine for applying glue to the edges of. narrow boards which are to be formed into composite panels irrespective of the differing widths or other irregularities of such boards, wherein ,the boards for many panels shall be transported one after another, from the make-up tableand sizing saw to the clamping and gluesetti ngiinachine at the rate and only the rate at wh ich 'the operator of the clamping machine can usethem, and, during that transportation, one edge of all but one of the boards for each panel shall be coated with glue, that one being left dry.

Another object of the invention is to utilize the weight of the boards themselves to ensure the even application of glue to the entire edge surfaces of the boards.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined conveying and gluing apparatus for boards in which the gluing unit is so constructed and arranged as to, in effect, constitute a part of the conveying system. i

A still further object of the invention resides in means for controlling the feed of and application of the glue and in a readily accessible and removable glue container whereby cleaning of the container and of the glue-applying devices shall be facilitated. I

Other objects and advantages will be appreciated by those skilled in this art or will be apparent or pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings in which I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of apparatus for conveying and gluin boards;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary part of Figure 2 showing how certain of the parts can be readily disassembled;

Figure 4 is a View partly in vertical section and partly in elevation taken along line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is another transverse sectional view but taken along line 6-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail View showing the relationships of certain parts of the apparatus;

Figure 8 is a view illustrating some typical boards to be glued and the manner of disposing the same for use with my. new apparatus, and

Figure 9 is a schematic illustration of a modified construction and arrangement of the glueapplying unit and the conveyor system.

In general my new apparatus comprises a glueapplying unit, and a conveyor system for feeding boards to and taking said boards away from said gluing unit; and more particularly I contemplate a feed conveyor, a separate take-away conveyor, a gluing unit disposed between the conveyors and the necessary appurtenances including a suitabl frame and a driving mechanism.

In Figures 1 to 8 inclusive shafts l0 and I! are shown as suitably mounted in a frame [2 which is made up of channel irons or other appropriate structural members. On each of these shafts a pair of sprockets i3 is fixed. Endless sprocket chains I l pass around corresponding sprockets 13, as shown, and cross bars i5 extend transversely between the sprocket chains it. The cross bars have thin outer edges making a minimal a noted that the feed conveyor and the take-away conveyor are separate and distinct and are, moreover, spaced from one another with the gluing unit to be described disposed in the space between the conveyors but so constructed and arranged as to act also as a part of the conveying system.

The gluing unit includes the glue applicator roll 2|, the doctor roll 22 and the glu pct 23 This glue pot is preferably provided with a surrounding jacket by means of which a heating or cooling medium can be circulated around the glue pot to warm or cool the same and thus control the temperature and viscosity of the flue. The glue pot is also provided with a partition 25 having an aperture 25, 'thus forming a well for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. Glue pct 23 .just micrometrically the position of roll 22.

3 is supported by rods 26 having knurled heads 21 and threaded ends 28. These rods are adapted to be received in apertures provided for that purpose on transverse bars or hangers 29 which are welded or otherwise suitable secured to frame Roll 2! is mounted on a shaft 35 journalled in frame l2, one end of the shaft projecting through the frame and being provided with a pulley 3i. Shaft 30 also carries a gear 32 between roll 2 l and frame i2 which meshes with gear 33 on shaft 3% on which the doctor roll 22 is mounted. The doctor roll controls the thickness of the film or layer of glue on roll 2|, and, therefore, is provided with means for adjusting its position with respect to roll 2 l For this purpose, the doctor roll shaft is mounted in swinging bearings 35 which pivot on frame 12 and each of which has an aperture 36 near the bottom thereof for the reception of the shank of screw 31 which has an enlarged knurled head for ease of operation. Adjusting screws 38 operate through blocks 3%, secured within frame l2, to act upon bearings 35 and thus ad- In this manner the amount of glue on roll 2 i can be precisely controlled or varied, it being particularly noted that the diameter of roll 2! is such that the roll projects Slightly (e. g. .rt /4) above the tops of the cross bars [5 and 20, as shown in Figure '7, whereby the high point in the periphery of the roll moves through a plane above the plane of the work-engaging top surfaces of the bars i5 and 28.

The construction described permits of the ready removal of the doctor roll and glue pot for cleaning, etc. To remove the doctor roll it is only necessary to unscrew the screws 3'! until their shanks are withdrawn from apertures 31% in bearings 35 whereupon the doctor roll can be lifted out without disturbing or altering th micromete setting. Gear 33 is, of course, removed at the same time as an integral part of the doctor roll structure. Glue pot 23 can also be readily-lowered and removed by unscrewing rods 26 and retracting them until they no longer extend beneathv the glue pot which then drops down and can be readily cleaned, etc.

A supply of glue is maintained in a suitable container such as the fruit jar 46 which is provided with a screw cap M and feed pipe '42. A ring :33 is secured on frame I2 to support the glue container with pipe 42 projecting into the well in'the glue pot. It will be clear that a certain amount of glue flows into the well until the level seals off the bottom of the feed pipe. is used it flows through'aperture '25 in partition 24 into the glue pot proper thus lowering th level until the bottom of the feed pipe is exposed whereupon air enters the same displacing glue which flows out until the pipe is sealed ofi againv In this way the glue level is maintained constant within very narrow limits. The well itself offsets the effect of roll 21 in carrying glue away from that part of the pot due to its direction of rotation and the propinquity of pipe 23 to the roll.

The driving mechanism includes the electric motor or other suitable power source 44 the shaft of which has a pulley t5. Shaft it extends through frame l2 and has the driven part idof an electric clutch fixed thereon. The driving part l! of the clutch and pulleys 38 and 55 form a unit loosely mounted on the shaft and held in place by a thrust collar 50. The opposite end of shaft i6 is provided with a pulley 5i and the corresponding end of shaft H is provided with a pulley 5Ia.

As glue assume 4 Endless belts 52, 53 and 54 are positioned around pulleys and 49, 58 and 3| and 5| and 51a, respectively. Thus motor M drives the sprockets and chains and hence cross bars=l5 and 20 in synchronism and at the same time drives the glue applicator roll at a peripheral speed which makes it in effect, a part of the conveyor system.

'Near the discharge end of the apparatus a gate mechanism is provided which includes the U- shaped bail 55 which extends across the device and down the sides thereof, as shown, being fulcrumed to frame 12 at 56. Extensions 5'! depend below the fulcrum points and terminate in insulated electrical conducting members 58 which are normally in contact with the terminals 59 of an electrical circuit indicated by the wiring '50. A battery or other suitable source of current (not shown) is used to energize the circuit and the clutch 46, 41 above referred to. Members 51 are urged by springs 61 towards contacting position with terminals 59 and it will be clear that movement of ball 55 in a counterclockwise direction acts to break the contacts at 5B, 59 and hence to de-energize the circuit.

A separator rail 62 extends from the entrance or feeding end of the conveyor system to a point over the center of the glue roll 2| and outwardly beyond one end thereof so that a series of boards 83 may be placed in side-by-side relation on the feeding conveyor with another board 64 at the outside of said separator rail whereby all of said boards except the one outside said rail will have glue app-lied thereto by the glue .roll 2!. Generally these boards are utilized to form one complete panel in a glue press, and the unglued board 8 produces one unglued joint when the edges of successive boards are passed against each other in the gluing operation. Therefor every time a dry or unglued joint occurs it interrupts the production of a continuous ribbon of glued boards and thus determines the width of each glued panel.

To facilitate movement of short unglued boards from the feed portion to the take-away portion of the conveyor one or more idler rollers 85 may be provided.

In operation, the driving motor is started thus revolving shafts i6 and I I, the sprockets l3 and I8 and the sprocket chains Hi and H] with their attached cross bars 15 and 2G. The operator takes a group of boards sufficient to make one composite panel and places them on edge on the cross them to the cross bars :25 of the take-away conveyor. This arrangement causes roll 2| to act as a part of the "conveyor system and also ensures complete application of glue not only because the weight of the boards presses them 'down onto the roll but because the roll has a peripheral speed equal to the speed of movement 'of the conveyor bars l5 and 20 and the construction and disposition of the roll allows freedom of movement of the boards to adjust themselves relatively to the sur face of the roll which in turn ensures constant and uniform contact of the boards with the roll, even hollow jointed boards which are warped boards having a longitudinal curvature. It is understood that boards of different widths are used as a result of cutting defects, such as'knots, out of the wood so that low grade lumber containing knots and other defects may be utilized without disadvantage. When boards 63 reach the discharge end, the forward edge strikes bail 55, breaking the circuit through the clutch 46 and thereby automatically stopping the apparatus. The boards are removed to a clamping apparatus and the act of removal allows the bail to resume its normal position thus starting the apparatus again, and this sequence of operations is carried out as long as is desired.

Instead of the electrically operated clutch 46, I may use a known type of mechanical clutch and suitably connect thereto a gate or lever corresponding to the bail 55, so that when the boards strike said gate or lever, the clutch will be operated to stop the conveyor.

Other conveyor systems may be utilized if desired, for example as shown in Figure 9 where a single endless conveyor is mounted to run over end sprockets 66 and has its upper reach running over sprockets 51 and 68 to form feeding and takeaway portions 69 and 70 respectively at opposite ends of the glue-applying unit and. a portion 1| which is looped beneath the glue-applying unit, so that the necessity for the belt 54 and pulleys 51 and 52 is eliminated.

It is to be understood that the foregoing is presented as illustrative and not limitative and that various other additions, omissions, substitutions and modifications may be made within the prin ciples and scope of the invention. Various types of glue may, for example be used and while animal or other slow setting glues may be employed, the invention is particularly adapted for applying resin glues containing an admixed catalyst which causes very rapid setting.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for applying glue to boards comprising a horizontal feed, conveyor, a horizontal take-away conveyor horizontally spaced from the feed conveyor and a gluing unit disposed between the conveyors and constituting an integral part of such conveyor system, each conveyor including a pair of shafts, sprockets on said shafts, sprocket chains around said sprockets and cross bars secured to said sprocket chains and movable therewith, said gluing unit having a glue roll projecting above said cross bars, and

means for moving both of said conveyor portions and for rotating said glue roll at such speeds that said objects may be moved from the feed portion to the take-away portion over said glue roll without slipping or wiping action'between saidobjects and said glue roll.

2. Glue-applying apparatus comprising a conveyor system for pieces to be glued and including feed portions and take-off portions having pieceengaging surfaces disposed in horizontal planes, a glue-applying unit having a glue-carrying surface a part of which is movable between said feed portions and said take-off portions in the same direction and through a plane above the planes of said piece-engaging surfaces so that said pieces are movable into and, out of contact with said glue-carrying surface by said feed portions and said take-off portions respectively with said pieces resting solely by gravitational force on and free to adjust themselves relatively to said glue-applying surface, and means for moving both of said conveyor portions and said gluecarrying surface simultaneously and at the same speed so that relative sliding or wiping action between said pieces and said glue-carrying surface and said piece-engaging surfaces of the conveyor portions is prevented, whereby a uniform coating of glue may be applied to said pieces, said take-off conveyor portion including horizontal rectilinearly movable elements and cross bars secured thereto whose top'edges form said pieceengaging surfaces, said glue-applying unit including a roll whose periphery forms said gluecarrying surface the high point of which is disposed above the planes of said piece-engaging surfaces, and the last-named means rotating said roll at a peripheral speed equal to the speed of said rectilinear movement of said piece-engaging surfaces of said conveyor portions.

3. An apparatus for applying glue to work pieces, comprising a horizontal frame, a feed conveyor thereon, a take-away conveyor on said frame spaced horizontally from the feed conveyor, and a glue applying unit disposed between said conveyors, said glue applying unit including a glue roll journaled in said frame, a glue pot below said roll and said frame and having an opening at its top into which said glue roll extends, said opening being free and unobstructed by said frame, a doctor roll extending through said opening into the glue pot, mounting'means for said doctor roll directly and separably connected to said frame for detachment from the frame and for vertical movement upwardly away from said glue roll and above said frame, and retractable means supporting said glue pot on said frame which when retracted enables said glue pot to be moved vertically downwardly away from said glue roll and removed from the frame, said means mounting said doctor roll including bearings for the roll, means pivotally mounting said bearings on said frame for swinging movement to adjust the doctor roll toward and from said glue roll, and there being an adjusting screw threaded in said frame at each of opposite sides of one of said bearings for adjusting and holding said bearings in adjusted position to vary the contact of the doctor roll with the glue roll, said means for pivotally mounting said bearings being removable from the bearings to permit movement of said bearings upwardly between said adjusting screws without disturbing the latter and allow said bearings and doctor roll to be moved vertically upwardly above said frame and away from said glue' roll and said glue pot.

LLOYD QUICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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